Monday, 27 April 2015

“This is Pakistan’s first road-trip film and I am confident it will garner a huge audience,” said Wajahat Rauf, director and producer of the much-awaited filmKarachi se Lahore, starring Shehzad Sheikh, Ayesha Omar, Yasir Hussain and Javed Sheikh, among others. He was speaking at the occasion of his debut film’s trailer launch.

Ayesha had grabbed considerable media attention following the release of the teaser forKarachi Se Lahore, which features a glimpse of her performing what seems to be an item number. Clarifying that the every song complements the situation in the film, she said, “My performance number is not an item song. All songs in the movie are situational.” Ayesha shared that her role in the film is a challenging one. “It has a lot of shades. From a domestic girl to somebody who does disco, Maryam [her character] evolves throughout the film.”

The film revolves around the journey of five friends, set on a road-trip to Lahore from Karachi “The concept of road movies has been adopted by Bollywood and Hollywood but it’s new to Pakistan,” Wajahat toldThe Express Tribune. Of the film’s plot, Rauf said it is all about friendship. “It’s a situational movie about a chaotic 36-hour journey of five friends and what can go wrong does go wrong,” he laughingly stated.

Playing the lead role inKarachi Se Lahore, Shehzad said he was thrilled to have been part of the film. “It was a road-trip for us as well. We travelled around the country for 40 days and I enjoyed every bit of the shoot” he said. Of his character in the film, he shared that he plays a middle-class Karachiite, heartbroken after hearing the news of his girlfriend’s wedding. “It is quite a hyper and fun-packed character,” he remarked.

“It’s a light-hearted comedy that takes you through Pakistan’s exotic locations, exploring all that has not yet been discovered in the country — all intertwined with a catchy story,” said Yasir Hussain, who plays a stammering Karachiite and has also penned the script of the film. “It’s a movie for all age groups,” he added.

Popular for her stint inBulbulay, Ayesha shared how her portrayal of Maryam in the film will diverge from that of Khoobsurat in the television sitcom. “I have been largely known for one character and breaking away from that was much-needed, which I will do through Maryam in Karachi se Lahore,” she noted.

Javed expressed his pride and confidence in Wajahat’sKarachi Se Lahore, which he feels meets international standards. “I have worked in Bollywood and, when I saw that equipment and technology used in the making ofKarachi Se Lahorewere exactly like those used in Bollywood, I could not help but feel elated that our industry is finally booming” he said. “Karachi Se Lahorewill set new standards,” he added.

Playing Javed’s love-interest is Mantahaa Maqsood, a dance instructor and new entry in the entertainment industry. “It’s a small role, more like a guest appearance, but what I am most looking forward to is my performance number,” she said. Talking about her song, she said she initially came for an item number but later bagged the role of Javed’s love-interest. “It’s not an item number, it’s an itemised number.” Also playing a role in the movie is veteran actor Rashid Naz, who garnered praise for his performance inKhuda Kay Liye. “With all the political and social violence around us,Karachi Se Lahorewill be a refreshing change for film-enthusiasts,” he said.

The film also stars Ishita Syed, Ali Ahmad and child star Ashir Wajahat. Ali Noor, Ali Hamza and Shiraz Uppal are behind the film’s music, which comprises five exclusive soundtracks, two Bollywood-inspired songs, and a signature Noori title song ‘Dil Ki Baat’. The trailer launch was attended by notable names in the entertainment fraternity, such as Fakhir Mehmood, Saqib Malik, Waqar Zaka, Dawar Mehmood and Behroze Sabzwari. The comedy-dramaKarachi se Lahoreis slated to release worldwide on July 31.

Friday, 24 April 2015

KARACHI: Yasir Nawaz’s Wrong Number due to hit the cinemas on Eid-ul-Fitr is the latest addition to the happy-go-lucky Pakistani movies slated for release this year, among such impressive names as the star-studded Ho Mann Jahan, Karachi se Lahore, Yeh Jawani Phir Nahi Aani, Bin Roye, Maah-e-Mir and Pakistan’s first animated movie 3 Bahadur.

“It’s a commercial film with a lot of action and romance, several catchy songs and a good cast, making it a good blend of entertaining ingredients,” Yasir Nawaz said in an interview toThe Express Tribune.

He added, “Ali Imran and I wrote the script about 6 – 7 years ago and we only actually started working on it last year.”

While Yasir Nawaz has acted in and directed several TV serials in the past, this is his first attempt at directing a full length film.

Still from Wrong Number

Talking about Sohai Ali Abro’s dance number for the songSelfiyan Re Selfiyan, Yasir Nawaz said, “It’s not an item number and doesn’t have Sohai dancing among men who can’t take their eyes off her. It is a catchy entertaining number, but it is a family song.”

From the look of its posters and the trailer,Wrong Numberseems to offer a satirical take on harsh realities, similar toNa Maloom Afraad. Yasir did not deny that the two films belong to the same genre, adding, ”I do not claim thatWrong Numberwill be a different movie, but I am sure that people will enjoy their time,” Yasir said.

You can view the promo here:

The movie stars veteran Javed Sheikh, Danish Taimoor, Sohai Ali Abro and Yasir’s brother Danish Nawaz, along with Shafqat Cheema, Nadeem Jafri and Yasir Nawaz in cameos. Commenting on his own role in the movie, Yasir toldThe Express Tribune, “It’s a small role. We had no one else to do it so I chose to do it myself.”

Yasir was careful not to express his views on how the film would fare with several other Pakistani flicks releasing at the same time. “It’s great to have several Pakistani movies releasing at the same time and I hope all of them do well. Our audience should definitely go watch Pakistani movies this Eid.”

Thursday, 16 April 2015

After
the thriller movies like waar,namaloom
afraad and jalaibee,
we now have a ‘feel good’ movie ‘ho mann jahaan,’ (hmj) to release on this eid
ul azha. to reveal the musical teaser and cast of his debut
movie, the veteran director asim raza invited the media on film set here
in karachi.

The
happening teaser, which featured all three leading stars – mahira khan,
shehreyar munawar and adeel hussain – stunned the media persons and bloggers,
present at the event.

According
to the director and co-producer of movie, asim raza, the shooting has almost
been finished and the film is expected to release on eidul azha.

The
cast and crew of ‘ho mann jahaan’ gathered at the glamorous set of frere hall
to address the media members and the entertainment industry about their
up-coming film that will soon set a benchmark in the pakistani film industry.

Briefing
the media about the film’s plot, sharing a teaser video and answering the
question posed by the media representatives, the press conference held was
nothing short of perfection. it not only gave the audience an insight of what
to expect, but also gave them a desi-contemporary taste of the film by hosting
the evening at the iconic frere hall decorated with flowers and spotlights.

It’s
a film that revolves around a contemporary urban coming-of-age story set in
present day karachi. it’s primarily about the friendship among three lead
characters born out of shared experiences at the same college and their passion
for music.

Shahryar
munawar as arhaan is a headstrong young man from a lower middle-class family.
his father, a retired civil servant, wants him to better his life with a degree
in business administration. adeel hussain as nadir is a more temperate fellow,
a dutiful son to upper-class parents who have great expectations from their
only child, none of which involve music. mahira khan as munizeh on the other
hand has been brought up without blinkers in an artistic and liberal home. she
is the most balanced of the three.

following
asim raza’s detailed eye and exemplary skills of guiding the narrative, the
film also features veteran actors like bushra ansari, sonya jehan, nimra bucha
and the exemplary arshad mahmud.

In
an interactive session, the cast talked about the pranks on sets, wardrobe
choices and the music composed by an intelligent mix of young and old of the
pakistan music industry, such as zeb & haniya, atif aslam, tina sani, abu
muhammad & fareed ayaz, jimmy khan, asrar and faakhir.

Mahira’s
outfits are done by feeha jamshed while ismail fariq and umar sayeed have worked
for male wardrobes.

the
event was attended by media members, bloggers and the crème de la crème of the
entertainment industry like ayesha omar, meera ansari, umar sayeed, huma adnan,
amir adnan, imran aslam, frieha altaf and many close friends to show their
support for pakistani csinema.

‘Ho
man jahaan’, which is made under the banner of the vision factory films, an off
shoot of the vision factory headed by raza, is expected to raise the bar in the
film industry.

the
audiences now have plenty of positive expectations from director extraordinaire
raza whose 18 years of experience, quality work and creative edge makes him a
renowned pakistani advertising filmmaker and music video director. he is most
known for his long term collaboration with top brands like coca cola, sprite,
lux, olay, cadbury, mobilink, sunsilk, pantene, head & shoulders and
garnier amongst others.

Tuesday, 14 April 2015

The first look of Hum Film's maiden film 'Bin Roye' is a lavish, visual delight. The stunning and dramatic promo was launched at the third annual HUM awards in Dubai.

Momina Duraid's film starring Mahira Khan, Humayun Saeed and Armena Khan has been highly anticipated among fans. We have been hearing about the adaptation for almost two years - the initial cast included Fawad Khan and Sanam Baloch.

After all that lamba intezar there was only one question that needed answering: was the promo worth the wait?

Here are four perspectives on the two and a half minute from die-hard entertainment fans.

'It has Mahira - of course it's a hit' (Irfan)

I loved the cinematography and the fact that it was so seeped in Pakistani culture. Any film that stars our drama queen Mahira Khan is a win for me. Director Momina Duraid has always produced stellar local television and her progression to film is an exciting transition. The locations are gorgeous (and so is the cast!). I am especially looking forward to seeing Zeba Bakhitiar on the big screen again.

Over all, the promo was bright, colorful and fun.

'Beautiful does not mean brilliant' (Rozina)

The promo looked liked a cross between a television ad for doodh and your rich cousin from Dubai's shadi video. Everyone is well dressed and beautiful but the shots are pretentious and cheesy. The plot of Farhat Ishtiaq's novel itself is intense and painful (Hello it's called 'Bin Roye ansoo') - the promo makes it seem like the PakistaniHum Aapke Hain Kon.

Over all, the promo was cliched and over the top.

'Perfect popcorn material' (Ayesha)

Bin Roye looks like a fun watch and made me want to grab some friends and head out to the cinema. It was such an entertainment packed trailer - and really, that's what most of us desis want - a sexy cast, catchy songs, and drama drama drama. I've seen comments comparing it to Bollywood but I think we are just used to associating everything opulent to Indian cinema.

Over all, I can't wait to watch the film.

'A television aftertaste' (Faria)

The cinematic trailer of Bin Roye left a TV aftertaste in my mouth. Hum is replicating their tried and tested formula of adapting classic Urdu novels with well known actors - after all if it works on television why not film? This new tv show/film is an interesting mixing of mediums - and although the trailer was not 'filmi' enough for me I'm looking forward to the movie.